OCU activists hear "Russian language" again in the only UOC church in Ternopil

Activists of the OCU and the city media of Ternopil are once again spreading «fakes» that the Cathedral of the Ternopil Diocese of the UOC in honor of the martyrs Vera, Hope, Love and Sophia is celebrating services in Russian. At the same time, the «video evidence» published in the media clearly shows that the Liturgy is not performed in Russian, but in the Church Slavonic language. The fake «investigation» was published by the regional website Ternopilskaya Pravda.

The video, which captures a part of the Divine Liturgy, was filmed in the courtyard of the Cathedral of the Ternopil Diocese of the UOC in honor of the martyrs Vera, Hope, Love and Sophia on the day of the patronal feast. The following comment was attached to the video’s author’s post: «Maybe someone will explain why in Ternopil during the war the liturgy is held in the language of the occupier??? A lot of cars and non-parishioners…».

However, a closer look at the video shows that the service is not in Russian, but in the Church Slavonic language, which is the official language of worship for a third of the Local Orthodox Churches.

In addition, for example, the Ostroh Bible, on which the presidents of Ukraine take the oath of office, is also written in the Church Slavonic language, and its study is included in the mandatory program of theological educational institutions of the OCU.

However, the dissemination of such a «fake» in relation to the Ternopil Diocese of the UOC has very clear goals. Over the past year, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been defending its right to exist in Ternopil, as the Cathedral of the Martyrs Vera, Hope, Love and Sophia became the subject of legal battles after the Ternopil City Council decided to expropriate the land plot on which the church is located. Moreover, it later became known that the land plot was transferred to the use of the OCU community of the same name, which exists only on paper.

Earlier, we reported that the Ternopil City Council transferred to the religious community of the OCU a land plot (at 1 Konovaltsia Street, Ternopil, Ukraine), where the Cathedral and diocesan administration of the Ternopil Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are located. This decision was made by the city council despite the fact that the Supreme Court of Ukraine seized the land and forbade the city council to dispose of the property in any way. Now the OCU community, which was given the land under the UOC Cathedral, is going to build a chapel there.